The IT Guy
by compass54
Summary: The IT guy is everyone's favorite employee - good looking, charming and helpful – and then one night he sees something he shouldn't on Izzy's computer. Written as a birthday present for Cullens TwiMistress. B&E? Well sort of. AH Humor/Romance Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Some characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The rest are mine.**

**This started as a flashfic to commemorate the birthday of Cullens TwiMistress. It got out of hand. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.**

**Beta'd by Edwards Beachlover and VampyreGirl86 and only made possible with the advice and support of the Triangle of Curls Girls - especially Maplestyle, LayAtHomeMom and Heather Maven.**

**...**

**Chapter 1**

_**Bella**_

"How do you get through traffic, pick up coffee and still arrive here at the same time each day? He's pulling into the lot, Izzy," Angie announces, draped over the windowsill next to her workstation.

"I didn't know it was a crime to arrive on time every day."

"No, but it's a crime to arrive looking like that. Jesus, the way he walks."

"He'll know your watching him, Angie! Get away from the window!" I tell her in complete frustration.

Her eyebrows rise and she says, "I'm telling you he likes you and I can prove it."

"He does not. He gets along with everyone. He's the IT guy for Christ's sake."

"Right, well he's coming in now."

She sits back in her chair and waits for him to enter our office.

"Morning all!" He says this same thing every morning because he's always last to arrive, being on the late shift. His counterpart starts at seven and goes through until three. Masen's here until six. Just hearing his voice makes this place light up, like there's suddenly a buzz all through the office.

"Here he comes, Iz. He doesn't need to walk this way. He should go straight and then turn right but…"

"Hi, Isabella." He walks past and turns slightly, shooting a gorgeous grin my way and I swear I hear girls sigh.

"Hi, Masen." The smell of his shower trails along about ten feet behind him and I notice a few people look up.

"Here we go in three, two, one," Angie says, speaking to herself.

Masen throws his keys in the air and catches them as he does every day lately. Angie starts to laugh silently and wheels her chair out a little to ogle him all the way to his office. "Did you hear that?" She cups her hand to her ear.

"I didn't hear anything Angie."

"Exactly, he only says hi to you and nobody else. That's funny don't you think?" She smirks and wheels her chair back.

I'm not answering that. It's just because I'm still new and he's the kind of guy who's nice enough to welcome newcomers into the company. He set up my permissions on the network, created my email, and gave me unlimited access to reliable storage without any fuss. He lobbied for me to get my own copy of the full Creative Suite, saying it helped my productivity, so he's two-thousand percent better than the last IT guy I had to work with.

I have big files. I create big print jobs from stunning high quality images for a magazine and at the other end of the scale; I capture the essence of the campaign for the website and create the artwork for an online paper, so I'm an expert at huge and at tiny. Masen knows this and has commended me on the way I don't waste his precious backup space. He knows he doesn't have to tell me not to upload gigabytes during business hours either because he knows I understand how it works.

The trouble with this job is it's like a time warp for me most days. I can start working on a design and the next thing he's asking me when I'll be finished so he can kick off the backups. I look at the clock and see he's been waiting for thirty minutes past his clock out time so he can start the program. He never complains but I know he doesn't like to leave me here on my own, so I always apologize and shut down right away. I enjoy leaving work with him. I like hearing him say "Goodnight Isabella," because he's the only one who calls me that. To everyone else I am Izzy or Iz.

Lately, I've made sure I'm off the network well before six because I've been working here on something of my own after hours since this office is toasty warm and my apartment is… not. It gets dark very early and there have been quite a few nights when I've looked out lately and seen snow on the ground. It's eerie and bleak, another reason why I like us to leave together. I enjoy waving goodbye to him because that smile warms up my car much faster than any heater could.

I studied media and publishing at college and found it more lucrative to be artistic than wordy, so I design by day and write by night, purely as an outlet for my fantasies. I've been writing Twilight fan-fiction in my spare time for a couple of years now and God help me if anyone finds out my real name is Isabella. I certainly don't write under that name and I can't help my ears pricking up every time Masen's boss calls for him because he's a surname guy and Masen's surname is Edwards.

Masen Edwards.

Angie is the only one who knows the connection and it's the reason she constantly plays up his interest in me, but the only thing Masen Edwards has in common with Edward Masen Cullen is that they are both hot. Masen's dark and his eyes are aquamarine, not green like Edward's, but he still has the most amazing eyes I have ever seen in real life.

The story I am currently working on has several people updating it. Firstly, there are two of us writing it and now two others are editing so we've started using Google Docs to record the changes live.

I'm reading over some new pages that have appeared today and I burst out laughing, as much as one can in a quiet office where there is only one other person working. It's the breathing in part of the laugh that gives me away every time.

"Everything okay, Isabella?"

"Yes thank you Masen. I just sneezed."

_Please don't come over here. This story is so not for a work colleague's eyes._

This collaboration is going very well. My co-author is as open-minded as I am and we are having so much fun with the comedy that we're flying through it. Her new pages inspire me to write a few more paragraphs, amazed that it fits so well with her new stuff, and then I scroll up to see if anyone has looked at the first half of the chapter yet. This is new to me but I know I have to click on 'File', 'See revision history', and luckily, they haven't made their changes yet because I want to add a short paragraph.

I move my cursor to the right spot but it won't let me type anything. I can see everything and highlight it but it won't accept any new text. I quickly copy what I've just written and paste it into notepad while I try to work out what I'm doing wrong.

I sit there and stare at it, trying to fathom what they haven't told me when I look more closely at the list of revisions. I go back to the point in time just before I added to the doc, click on 'restore this revision', and the new pages are gone. I gasp at the screen, watching the word 'saving' appear at the top. It's quickly replaced with 'All changes saved in Drive' and I hear a pathetic noise come out of me.

I have to stop what I'm doing before I do serious damage to this chapter and I wonder if Masen can help me. It has to be something simple and he can work anything out. I compose myself before I walk towards his office, seeing him on his phone, not looking very busy, and he tells his caller to wait for a second.

"Can I help you with something, Isabella?"

"Yeah, I just need some advice." I say casually, while dying inside.

"I'll come over." I shake my head but he tells whoever is on the line that he'll call them back later and then he stands.

"No, you don't have to come to the computer!" I say with absolute fear in my voice. "I was working in Google Docs and I seem to have lost the updates. Do you have any idea how it works?"

"Uh, let me just find out how to use it and I'll come and see you." He starts tapping on his keyboard and I wander at a snail's pace back to my desk. I'm shaky now and impatient for him to just fix it before I have to message the others and tell them I've screwed up the doc. I don't even want to think about what he's going to say when he finds out I'm not working on something business related.

My phone notifies me I have a Facebook alert so I check it on the computer. The message says, _"Do you know WTF happened to the doc? Today's changes are gone."_

I type back, "I'm working on the WTF now. Don't panic. I'm getting help from my IT guy."

Masen now heads toward me so I bring up the doc to cover my Facebook page. He smiles that goddamn gorgeous smile at me again and I lose my train of thought for a moment before asking, "Can you help me?"

"Sure, seems pretty straight forward. Did you try to undo?"

I make the sound of an idiot and hit control Z. The pages re-appear and my hands cover my mouth in relief. "Oh God, thanks."

"Now close down and open it again."

I'm so happy I don't even think. I close the window and reveal my Facebook page with another message. _"I'll bet. Give him one for me."_

He can clearly see the three messages in the thread and, thank God, he lets me minimize it before I die of humiliation, but he's seen all the cover shots of Rob and some other very sexy images.

"Sign in," he says calmly; ignoring what was just in front of him.

I sign in to get the doc up again and he says, "May I sit?"

"Um, I'll be okay from here, Masen. Thank you so much." I'm visibly shaking at this point and my pulse rate is off the charts because he can see the beginning of the chapter and it's not the kind of story you read with a male friend. The amazing thing is that the word Edward is not visible but I can see a few Bella's.

"Don't you want me to show you how to use it?" he asks me, looking quite disappointed.

I suddenly feel terrible since he took the time to look it up for me and he's probably read the paragraphs already anyway. I get up, aware that my seat is very warm and he sits down, looking at the screen, reading my smut.

I watch as his eyes widen for a moment but he covers his reaction with a cough. "Excuse me. All you have to know is that you can't edit while you are looking at the revision history." He opens the revision pane and shows me you can't type while it's up. Then he closes it and types 'Isabella' very quickly as if he types the word every day.

I get out a strangled "Thank you," and he smiles sweetly as he stands and goes back into his office. I fall into my chair and die. He has just seen what I can never explain to him. He won't understand that I can be normal and write this type of material. It's just fun, an outlet, like men buying tools they don't need on eBay or women taking scraps of material and creating something sensational out of them. It's only a hobby.

I realize it's after six o'clock so I send a quick message to the girls, telling them the problem is solved and I shut down, ready to leave. Masen comes out of his office and locks it as he always does. He comes up and says, "Shall we?"

I try to act as if nothing happened and we leave together like we do every other night. He locks the building and we head to our cars, always parked a couple of spots from each other's. He waves and says, "Goodnight Isabella."

I wave back and say, "Thank you Masen." I try to smile but I'm still dying of embarrassment inside.

He throws his laptop bag on the passenger seat and gets in. He starts the engine and as I think he's about to take off, he lowers his window. His eyes roam over me from head to toe and then they fall on the spot at the top of my legs.

Oh God, he's thinking about my pussy.

He uses that killer smile on me as he looks back up to my eyes and says, "Goodnight Bella," and raises the window, waiting for me to do something.

That's when I realize I'm standing here in the cold, still leaning back against the door of my car, so I jump in and watch him, unable to take my eyes off him as I fumble with the key. Thankfully, it starts the first try because it's freezing and I can see my panicked breathing in the cold air.

He swipes the security box and the boom gate rises. Then we both drive forward, leaving the lot and turning in different directions.

-The IT Guy-

"Morning all!" The very sound of his voice this morning makes my spine straighten in anticipation of what awaits me. I've been tossing and turning all night, certain he'll let something slip today and everyone here will know that Izzy writes smut in her spare time.

If it gets out, how the people here will react is anyone's guess, but some will be interested, maybe wanting to read it, some will back away like I have a disease, and I'll certainly get some unwanted attention from men who think it's encouragement. Masen's "Goodnight Bella" comment as he eyed my cooter last night was a sure sign of that.

I know he's not the kind to do something maliciously but who knows what he and the other IT guy talk about, what secrets they have on all of us. I've heard about reports they run on our internet usage, where we go and how long we spend there. It's no secret that they screen our email.

He swings past my desk, flashing me his smile as usual, but this time he stops and I hold my breath as he drops some sheets of paper on my desk.

"Hi Isabella, I made you a training guide on how to use Google Docs."

I'm too nervous to thank him, looking from the paper to his face. He gives up when he gets no response, shrugs and walks into his office. I look more closely at what he has given me, six pages with screen prints cropped precisely. He's even translated the techno speak into English for me. Is this his way of showing he approves of what I do in my spare time or is he giving me this knowledge so I never have to call him anywhere near my computer again when I'm writing at work? Whatever it is, he's gone to a lot of trouble to help me and the document shows on the baseline that he printed it at 1:10 AM.

Angie stands next to me, not understanding what he's given me, waiting for me to explain.

I ignore her. I have to get up there quickly and thank him for his effort before things get too awkward because I don't want to ruin our friendship for something as stupid as what happened last night. I take my little training manual with me and as I stand in his doorway, he beams at me, sending me a welcome so sweet that it stops my heart for a moment. I can breathe. It's going to be okay.

I hold up the papers and say, "This is great. Thank you so much."

"No problem. I learned something myself while I was doing it."

I start to fidget. "Well… can I buy you a coffee?"

He holds his fresh cup up and says, "Maybe some other time?"

I nod and slink away, feeling ridiculous, and Angie's ready to attack when I sit down. I put her off, telling her a half-truth; that Masen is helping me with Google Docs for a job I'm doing. She knows something's off but she gives up and I get on with my work.

The day flies by and I'm working on the story again, writing a scene with Bella and her friend, Alice. Masen ignores me, going in and out of the server room, doing whatever IT guys do. I'm more aware of him now than ever. Every movement seems to catch my eye so I'm not very productive. Suddenly, I see a new edit pop up and I read it. It's a scene where our two lovebirds are getting hot and bothered.

I look up at Masen, going back to his desk, and as he sees me, he waves. Watching his graceful movement around the office while seeing Edward's name in print in front of me has the strangest effect on me. For the first time, I'm seeing Masen as Edward in my head, not Rob.

I realize I can't write this here any more because I'm imagining myself riding Masen. It's been three months since I've had any sexual contact and I have to keep my work and my private life apart after the disaster at my last job.

I will never get involved with someone I work with again. I reinforce that idea in my head and sigh, closing the document down. I shoot off a quick message to say I love where this is going with the build up of tension and I say I'm going home to write as I hear the click of Masen's office door.

By the time I shut down, he's already standing there, waiting for me to leave. I want to say something about last night but the words don't come, so I stand and he holds his arm out for me to lead the way.

"Goodnight Isabella," he says, like always, when he opens the door of his car.

"Thank you Masen," I respond, hoping he'll read from those three words that I value the fact that he has acted professionally and moved on without giving up my secret. It's another reason to keep this friendship going.

-The IT Guy-

The next day, Angie's computer has some problem and Masen spends an hour trying without success to rectify it.

"I'll have to rebuild it Angie. I'll give you some more space on the network so you can back up anything you have saved locally."

"Well how long is that going to take?" she questions him rudely. "I didn't cause the problem you know. This computer is always slow."

He handles her beautifully. "I'll speak to your supervisor, Ang, so you can leave early and I'll have it ready for you when you arrive in the morning. I'll upgrade it at the same time if you like."

"Oh, okay" she says, obviously thinking about getting off work early. "Well where should I back my stuff up?"

He gives her some basic instructions and gets her to write her password down on a post-it note, which he takes away after shooting a smug smile in my direction.

As soon as she leaves, he opens her computer and adds some parts. Then he spends the next hour going back and forth, checking on the progress of the build. He seems to be doing most of it remotely but as soon as everyone else has left, he sits down and starts installing and customizing.

My phone has been going nuts with Facebook alerts for ten minutes when he asks me to answer it, telling me he can't concentrate. The girls have read a long scene I wrote last night and the messages on the thread make me break out in loud laughter. I feel relieved that they liked it and I'm happy it's out of the way. They keep quoting little snippets that they particularly like and I laugh harder, replying with thanks for their votes of confidence.

"What's so funny?" he asks, half-laughing with me.

"It's nothing; just some friends of mine. They are funny."

"Is this about your story?" he asks, grinning.

I look at him, wondering if I should answer him truthfully, and then notice another comment that cracks me up so I nod while trying to contain myself.

"Can I read it when it's finished?"

I don't have to answer with words when my face automatically screws up.

"Or not." He shuts down the computer and goes back to his office. I feel bad. It was nice having him there next to me even for a little while and I already miss him.

He busies himself with his usual end of day routine and I lose interest in Facebook and in the story. I realize what a fool I've been, thinking I could bring that world into the office without someone finding out and it's already hurting my friendship with Masen. He's very attractive, intelligent, helpful, good at his job, and if he worked anywhere else, I would be definitely encouraging him but since he works under the same roof, I have to keep this professional. I can go home early from now on and put on extra sweaters and socks when it's only for one more month. By December, I will be out of here.

"What do you think?" Masen walks towards me with a wide screen monitor and a grin on his face. "This should stop her complaining when she realizes she has to personalize everything again."

I nod and laugh because he's right. She's been lobbying for a wide screen for a while now but her supervisor won't sign off on it. "Isn't that…?"

"Yeah, it's your old one. I cleaned it up. Do you think she'll notice?"

I shake my head, chuckling, thinking about her reaction in the morning and the big deal I'll make of it. He swaps the monitor and boots the computer up, adjusting the resolution to get the maximum out of it. As he shuts it down, he asks, "Are you going soon? I'm finished."

"Sure," I say, feeling our friendship might not have taken a hit after all and feeling delighted about it.

"Do you want to get something to eat?"

Hell, I was feeling so optimistic and he just ruined everything.

"Uh, thank you Masen but I… I don't get involved with guys from work."

He frowns and says, "It was just a meal. Don't worry about it." He goes and gets his laptop bag, locks his office and waits for me before he follows me out to the lot.

I open my car door to get in, drop my purse on the seat and I'm suddenly overwhelmed with the need to explain why I'm pushing him away. "Masen, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, so please just do me a favor and get in your car. It's freezing out here." I look down at my arms wrapped around my waist and see white vapor coming out of my mouth, knowing he's right. Standing outside in this weather at night is no place for me to start opening up about my past.

For a second I weaken, asking myself who it would hurt if I shared a meal with this lovely man, and I know the answer is me - I'm the one who would get hurt. I know how quickly I'd fall in love with someone like him and suddenly the need to flee is so strong that I get in my car and don't look back as I drive off.

The first thing I do when I get home is change into thermals, sweats, two pairs of socks and slippers. Then I check out the realtor site for apartments nearby. The plan was to sign a three-month lease on this flea trap and wait until my probation period was over before committing to something more permanent, and it was a good plan until the weather turned on me. I had what I needed to sustain me and for a while it felt like penance for having the stupidity to get involved with an arrogant prick who fed lies to my colleagues about why we split up.

I will never understand why he turned on me like that.

Tonight I have to get a scene done where Edward wants to know why Bella can't make a commitment to him. I'm trying not to let it get too heavy but it's hard when you're feeling melancholy and when I read back the last few paragraphs I've written, I realize it's reminiscent of what happened just after six o'clock.

I can't write any more. My eyes well up with tears as I see the comedy I'm supposed to be writing turn into the truth about my relationship with Masen. In the story, Bella and Edward will get past this stage and go on to fall deeply in love but we won't. I think about rewriting it but decide to leave a little part of me in there that no one will recognize anyway. The poignancy of the moment will be lost in the overall humor of the story.

I make a cup of tea and get into bed with my electric blanket on high and my spirits at an all time low.

-The IT Guy-

I tell Angie how hard Masen worked to make sure her computer was ready and I say she's not to draw attention to the fact that he's given her a new monitor. She mimics a zipper running across her lips and winks, pleased with both the monitor and the secret.

There is a flurry of activity and some loud words as one of the PA's rushes out of the office and someone sticks the foil 'Happy Birthday' sign that gets reused constantly across Masen's door. We've never mentioned birthdays, so I'm not surprised I didn't know today was the day. However, when the same person comes back and sticks a page underneath it, my heart feels like it just turned sour in my chest.

The sign reads – FOR YESTERDAY.

**...**

**Hope you like it Missy. Happy Birthday. There will be two more chapters and I'll upload each day.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Missy, I reached this point and realized I'd gone so far past a flashfic that it was time to consider a one shot. Also, I was no longer writing just humor and it was a shock when it happened. I felt sorry for both of them, so I thought I had better continue to find out how it turned out.**

**...**

**Chapter 2**

_**Bella**_

Oh God, it was Masen's birthday last night and he just wanted someone to spend it with, someone to share an otherwise lonely meal. It affects me more than expected and I have to go to the bathroom before anyone sees me cry.

This is about more than just Masen's birthday; this is me letting the actions of an asshole determine how I deal with men in general now, and I hurt a good man last night for no other reason.

As I'm coming out of the bathroom after dabbing my eyes with wet paper towels, Masen walks in, startled when he sees me. When I smile his face lights up and he says his usual, "Morning all!" which is returned by a round of belated birthday greetings, lots of people standing in their cubicles to call out to him. He self-consciously opens his door, waving it all down as he enters his office.

I don't hesitate. I go straight in and say softly, "I'm so sorry about last night. You must think I'm a horrible person."

"On the contrary, Isabella, I don't know you well enough to think of you like that. I just wanted to eat and you said no. You had your reasons and I accept that."

Simplistic and honest – that's what I should be like. Instead, I have secrets that I've held so close to my chest that I don't realize they rule me.

I don't know how to respond so I just say, "Well, happy birthday, then," and he blasts me with one of those smiles that make my heart flutter as I go back to my desk, feeling a lot better.

There's birthday cake at 10:30 and we all gather around to share it. Everyone speaks to Masen, some of them directly into his ear, and I wonder if they all feel as special as I do when he gives them attention. In this place, he's like everyone's own personal IT guy.

I swear I don't know where the rest of the day goes and when I look at the clock, it's already past five. I made a decision last night that I wouldn't write any more in the office so I start to gather my things to go home.

"Are you leaving?" he asks as if he's been watching me.

"Um, yeah, I really have to write tonight."

"Oh," he says glancing down at the ground. "I'll take you down to your car."

I don't know what comes over me. Maybe it's the gallantry of him wanting to walk me out. "We could have that meal, to make up for last night."

"I can't tonight, Isabella." He puts his arm out for me to proceed.

Okay, I've obviously misjudged everything yet again and feel very insignificant all of a sudden.

"It's month end and I usually stick around until about nine to make sure the reports run."

"What are you going to have for dinner?" I ask as we walk through the front door.

"I'll grab something later." I give him a suspicious look and he says, "It's fine, really."

I sigh, thinking there's not much I can do if he doesn't want my help so I smile and say, "Well, goodnight Masen."

"Goodnight Isabella. See you tomorrow."

As I drive off, I watch him go back inside and I feel completely empty because I can't remember the last time we didn't leave together. I didn't realize how important this little thing was to me and I want it back. I don't want to leave at five each day and go home to write because I want to stay with him.

Forty minutes later, I call him and it goes to voicemail. I leave a message that must sound pathetic, telling him I have his dinner with me if he wants to let me into the building. Five long minutes go by and I have to start the car again to use the heater when I see him shoot out the front door, shaking his head at me but smiling. I hand him the bags and get out.

"What have you got, you crazy girl?"

I look into the bags to remind me what I ordered. "Spring Rolls, Butterfly Shrimp, General Tso Chicken, Singapore noodles and fried rice - I really hope you like Chinese."

"I love it." He puts his arm around me and hugs me like a good pal but my reaction is something I need to hide.

He lets me into the building and the warmth is amazing. I've never come in here after being in the freezing night air.

"Do you have time for this? I know you're busy but I wanted to make sure you ate."

He just nods with a smirk so powerful and sweet I could melt into the carpet.

"I got chopsticks and forks, just in case."

"Thank you so much for this. It's… special. I'm going to pretend it's my birthday today."

We eat at Masen's desk so he can check on the progress of the month end process. His feet are crossed over each other up on the desk, and he's eating noodles with chopsticks.

"You don't have to rush home to write?"

I inwardly cringe and answer, "I don't want to talk about that tonight, Masen."

"Please, don't think I'm going to share your personal life with anyone. Christ, the things we see here everyday…" he says shaking his head. "Doesn't matter."

"Like what?" I'm intrigued now.

"Like… the people who get the most porn, are the same ones who get all the religious emails."

"No way!"

He nods and we continue to eat in silence. I find I like to watch him eat; the look of his tongue on his lips is kind of fascinating to me.

"So what is your story, Isabella? I wonder why you're here every night. Is there no boyfriend?"

"Nope." He doesn't press me further and we carry on eating.

"This chicken is really good by the way. That reminds me, I need to give you some money." He puts his legs down as if he's about to find some cash.

"No, you don't!"

He looks at me as if I'm crazy. "I'm not letting you pay for dinner!"

"Don't be ridiculous! Can't you accept a gift? You spent all that time the other night on my training manual."

Now he looks insulted. "That was my pleasure!"

"And so is this mine!"

I stare him down until he adds some more noodles and chicken to his box and sits back studying me.

"You know you're a puzzle, Isabella. I know you get engrossed in your work, but you don't seem to have made any friends here. You obviously have a life on Facebook where you write, but you don't want to talk about it. You give me a one word answer when I ask you about a boyfriend and you're here every night, tempting me, but you say you don't get involved with guys from work."

I can physically feel the barrier I've put up against this sort of interrogation because it's with me every single minute of my day but the words, 'tempting me' have resonated somewhere inside because now there's a tremor in my foot, a nervous energy spilling out of an extremity. I guess I owe him something after all the weeks we've spent together where he's never once made a move toward me.

"I've been hurt."

He immediately snorts and says, "Join the club."

"How were you hurt?" I wonder how someone like him would understand what the word meant.

"Oh, I don't know, my girlfriend missed my birthday last year but she promised she would never miss another one. Six months she said. Six months and she would join me here. In reality, after two months she forgot her promise and took up with someone else. I doubt she ever intended to come and live with me. Is that hurt enough for you? Oh, and nobody knows that, okay?"

I've never seen this Masen before. He keeps up the pretence of being everyone's best friend so well that you just assume he has everything going for him. He obviously _would_ understand so I decide to let him in.

"I was going out with someone from the last office I worked in and he was actually banging the boss's daughter, using our relationship as a cover. When I found out, he told everyone that I cheated on him and she became the saint who comforted poor Mikey. Last I heard they were still together. See, I didn't rate in his life. I was just a means to an end." I feel like I'm about to cry so I throw the food in the trash and stand, ready to leave. "I'm so sick of the tears, Masen. How do I make them stop?"

He comes straight around and puts his arm out as if he wants to comfort me but pulls it back and leans on the side of the desk, waiting for my queue. In that moment, I need a hug so badly that I put my arms around his neck and hold on.

He breaths out in relief, his arms encircling me, and we stay that way for ages. The warmth of his body penetrates me, welcoming me as if I'm home.

"I know, Izzy. Let it out. I'm here and I won't let anyone hurt you."

I bury my face in his neck and he pushes my hair back, looking down into my face.

"I know how to make the tears stop."

"How?" I murmur into his neck.

"You keep hanging around with someone who thinks you're terrific and you let them into your life; really let them in, not just let them walk you to your car every night."

I feel a smile spring onto my face for him hinting at something more than friends. "I'm still not sure if I should go out with someone I work with," I say with a new lack of conviction in my voice.

He chuckles, moving his fingers through my hair. "I don't see how anything would change. I'm damn sure everyone already knows I'm attracted to you. You zone out most of the day and then you're here every night until we leave together."

I squeeze him tight and then look directly into his eyes. "You know I tried to convince myself I stayed here to keep warm when really you were my warmth."

He pushes me back, holding my shoulders and asks, "What does that mean? Where do you go overnight?" It's obviously a question he has wanted to ask for a while.

I can't look at him. "I have a shitty studio apartment because I didn't want to sign a lease on something decent until my probation was over. The heating doesn't work properly." I hear the stupidity of my answer as it comes out of my mouth.

"Christ," he says shaking his head. "I want to see this place."

"No," I whine at him. "I won't be there much longer."

"I'm coming to check it out. I already got your address from the payroll records so I know where you live." He finishes the threat with a finger running along my jaw.

"When?" I ask, starting to panic.

He moves back to his computer purposefully, scrolling through a long report and answers, "Now."

"Oh Masen, please don't?"

He throws the leftovers in the trash and starts packing his laptop up. "I can't let you stay where there's no heat, Isabella. It's snowing again."

I look out the window, seeing the air swirl with snow, and resign myself to the embarrassment of having to show someone where I live. I suddenly feel sick.

We lock up as normal and he follows me home. We both park in the street and as he looks up at the building, he almost stumbles. I know what he's thinking because I had the same reaction when I first saw this dump. He looks like he's too polite to say what's in his eyes but when I open my door, his shoulders drop as he scans the tiny space. He takes a step inside and asks, "What does this set you back?"

"Seventy-five."

"A week?"

I smack his arm gently at his feeble attempt at humor. "Yes, a week. It's not that bad."

"Pack a bag, Isabella. I have an entire house. I inherited my grandmother's place."

"No, Masen, it's okay."

"It's colder in here than outside. You're coming with me."

I open my mouth to argue but he shuts me up with a finger to my lips. For a moment, he looks at me and his eyes blink rapidly, then he runs his hand over my head.

"Get some clothes. I have two spare bedrooms and a real fire."

I huff because I know he won't take no for an answer and as I look around, the thought of a real fire is too good to ignore, so I give in and do as he asks.

I follow Masen across town and we enter a street full of old, well-maintained homes. He pulls in and I find a spot a little further up. Then he lifts my case out of the trunk and waits for me to get out. "It's just up here," he says pulling the laptop bag higher on his shoulder.

When he opens the black metal gate, I look up in wonder at the two-story detached home made of grey stone and brick with a wide set of stairs leading up to a covered entry, complete with original looking detail and columns. Above is a small patio, built to utilize the space above the porch. Someone has freshened up this place recently as the windows all look new, the brick and stonework are sparkling clean and the tiny garden area out front has been planted out tastefully.

It's gorgeous.

"This was Nan's house," he says as he heads up the stairs, greeted by a sensor light. "I'm fixing it up gradually."

Until today, I always thought Masen's place would be a hi-tech apartment with remote control everything so I'm surprised to see him turning a real key to unlock a heavy timber door.

"Hang on," he warns, before going to a box inside and punching in some numbers before returning. "Please come in."

The house is already warm and welcoming with its recessed and directional lighting, accentuating some of the period features. He puts the bag down in the hall at the base of a long staircase and takes my coat to hang on one of four large brass hooks. I snoop in to what looks like a sitting room or old-fashioned parlor.

He grabs my hand and smiles. "Come on, I'll give you the guided tour." He takes me up the hallway and points out the downstairs bathroom and laundry before it opens out onto a family room with a dining table and new kitchen. It's dark and masculine, fitting in perfectly with the new black framed windows and I'm too dazzled to do anything except smile in awe at what Masen has put into this place.

"You like it, then?" he asks earnestly, still holding my hand, and I manage a feeble nod. "Would you like something to drink?"

Still looking around, I reply, "Just water, please. That Chinese was salty."

I feel the loss of his hand when he goes to the fridge for a bottle of water. When he returns, his hands find my hips and he says, "You can't go back to that cold room when I have all this space." Before I can get a word out he adds, "Stay until your probation is over. I want to repay your kindness tonight so you have to."

"You don't have to repay me for anything, Masen."

He glances out the window anxiously and then looks at me. "Isn't it obvious? I'm looking for any excuse."

"Excuse?"

"Yeah, to have you to myself. I'm sick of getting scraps of time with you when we're both busy when all I want is…" He looks at my lips like he's yearning for them. "Please, let me kiss you Isabella, just once is all I..."

Before I know it I'm kissing him and in that moment I know I want him physically, know I've been denying it, squashing it with my stupid promise to myself, and the way he responds shoots nerves into the core of my body. His moans and heightened breathing go so well with his tongue moving against mine that I'm lost in the sensation of him, overwhelmed in his arms. I know I'm pulling his hair, trying to get him closer and I can tell he likes it. Hell, I love it - the only thing that would make this better is if we were naked.

He starts to kiss my neck hungrily, following every kiss with his tongue, and I call out when his teeth scrape my earlobe and he cups my pussy and squeezes.

"I have protection," he murmurs and I instantly pull back, feeling my guard go up.

"Did you plan this?"

"N… no." He looks at me uncertainly, shaking his head slightly.

"Then why do you have protection ready?"

"I said I didn't have a girlfriend, Isabella, not that I was a monk."

I try to break out of his hold when he says sincerely, "But not for the last eight weeks. I've endured my overwhelming attraction for you, waiting for any sign that you returned my interest and until tonight, I never saw anything. How could I have possibly planned this when you were the one who turned up with Chinese?"

"You just want to fuck me," I say squirming.

"I'm not gonna lie, Isabella. I do want that. I've thought about many things I want to do to you, but I also want to get to know you and have you stick around. I don't normally have to wait long for women to come to me."

I snort at him. "I love your brutal honesty, Masen."

"Well, what's the point in playing games? Some women enjoy a quick fuck with no ties and then if you're very lucky, you meet someone you want to keep around, like you Isabella, so please don't think this is a casual thing. I would not have waited this long if I wasn't serious."

Jesus, it's hard to absorb when no man has ever spoken like this to me before and I feel like I need to roll it around in my head before I can work out what's real. "You're very different to what I expected, Masen. Can I think about it? I'm tired and I'd love a real shower."

He takes his hands off me, looking disappointed. "Of course, you take as long as you need but please stay at least until your probation is over. Come on, I'll show you your room." I hesitate but he knows there is no way I'm going back to my cold studio tonight. "I'm still the same guy, Isabella."

I nod and he picks up my case, leads me up the stairs, pointing out his room and a room devoted to computer equipment, which he calls his 'geek room'.

"Take your pick," he says, pointing to the two rooms across the hall. "The bed is made up in this one." It's a double with a thick fluffy looking quilt and the heat up here is wonderful. "The bathroom is there. I'll get you a spare toothbrush." He leaves the case in the hall for me to make a choice.

I move it into the double bedroom and repeat under my breath, "Spare toothbrush," thinking of something that's been used by one of those women he doesn't usually wait long for. He comes out with a brand new toothbrush in its pack, a clean towel and wash cloth, and I chastise myself for thinking the worst of him. He heads back downstairs after telling me to let him know if I need anything.

When I come out of the bathroom over twenty minutes later, after drying my hair completely and feeling hot and steamy for the first time in a while, there's a spare key on the chest of drawers and no sound from downstairs. I hear the shower going in his bathroom and his bedroom door is closed. I figure it's late so I plug my phone in to charge and get into bed, finding he's turned the electric blanket on for me and it's so much like heaven that I start to chuckle as I turn it off. It's amazing that it's so warm that I don't need it.

I lie in bed, going over the details of the last few days with Masen, where our friendship evolved into something else and I realize if he hadn't been so quick to mention protection, I'd probably be in that bed with him now. There's a battle going on in my head about whether I should be worried about him being slightly possessive, definitely controlling and a little bit arrogant. I end up thinking that it's too early to tell and if I can slow things down and get to know him better, then I can make a proper decision with a level head and not one ruled by lust because the only thing I do know for sure is that I won't be able to resist him much longer.

...

**One more to go, Missy, and I'm sure I smell lemons. Hope you are still having a great birthday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**It seems like most of you want them together, so this final chapter is kind of lemony. **

**You've been warned. Flounce now if you have to.**

**...**

**Chapter 3**

_**Bella**_

The next morning I get out of bed, enjoying the freedom of not having to dress for the arctic. I get ready for work and leave a note downstairs. I need some time with the girls so I decide to go into work early to see who's up. I log into my Facebook account, open our group thread and type a message, hoping someone responds.

"Guess where I stayed last night?"

A couple of minutes go past before I get an answer.

"_I'm listening."_

"_Where?"_

"Masen Edward's house."

"_No way!"_

"_Wait, is that the IT guy?"_

"_Yes, she's banging him."_

"I am not banging him!"

"_Why not?"_

"_Yeah, why not? I thought you liked him."_

"Because I work with him. Am I being stupid? I still don't feel ready."

"_You're not stupid but you are ready. How long has it been?"_

"_Too long."_

"_*nods*"_

"_Why did you stay there if you're not having sex with him?"_

"I almost had sex with him."

"_What did he do?"_

"I think it was him mentioning 'protection' while we were still clothed that did it."

"_No I mean what did he do when you turned him down?"_

"_Turned you off."_

"Made me suspicious I suppose."

"_He wasn't angry, disappointed?"_

"Maybe disappointed – not angry."

"_((big hugs))"_

"_He's DISHIE, isn't he?"_

"YES – VERY."

"_Just do him and work out the details later."_

"He already said he wants something more serious."

"_Whaaaaaaaaaaat!"_

"_Jesus"_

"_How long have you known this guy again?"_

"8 weeks"

"?"

"_OMG. Where is he now? Is he there with you?"_

"No, I'm at work and he's at home. I left early. Maybe... escaping?"

"_I know it will be okay Iz"_

"_Gotta go and grab a shower but try not to think about it at work, okay?"_

"_Me too, I'll be back later. Thinking of you Iz"_

"Thanks – love you guys – I feel better"

"_Iz, just think about how much you LIKE him before you work out if you could LOVE him."_

"That's good advice."

"_Bye dolls, work awaits!"_

"See you girls. Thank you."

I didn't even tell them that he has a nice house, a good job; didn't even mention the killer smile or that everyone likes him.

I lean back in my chair and think about how much I like him and I know it's a lot. I've liked him since the day I arrived and he was sweet to me. It was later that we realized we had respect for each other's way of working and then I gravitated towards him without even knowing, staying after work every night with him. God he must think I've been throwing myself in front of him all these weeks and as soon as he takes a step to confirm what we have between us, I chicken out. Fuck.

There is just one more thing I need to find out about him and Miss Nosy Nancy Angie will know the answer. I grab a cup of tea and return to wait for her.

I startle her when she finds me already at my desk. "Jeez, Izzy, you're early!"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep, Ang."

"Well I've got a million month end reports to collate today. I hope they're okay," she says, admiring her new wide screen as she boots up.

I don't dare say I was here with the IT guy when everything went through successfully.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Izzy."

"You know how you said that Masen likes me?"

"Oooo, are you getting interested?" She cocks up a brow to wait for my answer.

"Ang, I was wondering if he's been involved with anyone here before?"

"No. Actually, I heard he has a girlfriend but he's kind of private. Look, I'm sorry; I thought I was being funny the other day. It's just that he always says hello to you and only you. I thought there might be something going on between you two. I'm really just jealous."

I shake my head and ask, "Does he ever strike you as arrogant?"

She shakes her head and answers, "Who, Masen? He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met. He's a doll really. You are interested, aren't you?"

"No, he's probably taken." I hope this comment makes her think I don't know.

She sighs. "Probably, I wish he said hi to me every day. He's very…"

"Morning all!"

She looks up and I turn to face into the corner of my workstation, my heart beating out of control.

"Hi, Isabella."

I glance up and say, "Hi, Masen."

He walks up to his office and I swear it's as if nothing happened yesterday. He's busy all morning, on the phone, visiting workstations and helping, laughing with people and charming them. I, on the other hand, am a mess of emotions, watching and wanting to lay claim to this gorgeous man before someone else does, knowing he won't wait forever for me. I don't break for lunch. I'm starting on a new design when my desk phone rings and my boss calls me into her office.

"Come in and sit down, Izzy," Tanya says with a smile. It's genuine and I don't feel like I'm in trouble. She hands me a letter and I quickly scan it before frowning at her.

"But I have another month to go."

"We don't need you on probation any longer, Iz. You work well and you're making us money so we'd like you settled before I leave. They're not replacing me so Jane will take over the clients and you keep doing what you're doing. She won't poke her head into the creative stuff."

"You're leaving?" I ask, knowing I have no idea what goes on in this office.

She chuckles and nods, "I'm marrying the boss, Izzy. I won't have to work and we both want children quickly so I'm going to look after us... you know... at home. We haven't made an official announcement yet, but I'm sorry I thought everyone knew."

My voice catches in my throat and all I can get out is, "Congratulations and thank you."

As I turn to leave she says to me, "Oh, and do us all a favor. Put poor Masen out of his misery and go on a date with him will you?"

I feel my eyes widen as I back out of her office, hearing her soft giggle. I go back to my desk, trying not to show I'm almost hyperventilating, paranoid about everyone who glances up as I pass.

They all know. I'm the only one who's clueless.

I sit back down and go over the conversation. The best news is that I have a permanent position so I don't need to stay in that rat trap any longer. Fraternization in this office is clearly not frowned upon if they all know Tanya is marrying the boss and it looks like everyone here knows that Masen has a thing for me. Funny that no one except Angie ever said anything. I guess it's because I'm not particularly chatty with anyone here and I consider why that is.

It's obvious that I have shut myself off from not just men but friendships in general because I've been here for eight weeks and not once have I been out with anyone from this office socially. I've traveled home a couple of weekends in that time but the rest I've spent rugged up in my hole of an apartment writing fantasy or on Facebook.

I've let Mikey and the boss' daughter win, haven't I. I've moved away like a dog with its tail between its legs and I'm still not embracing the new life I left to find. These thoughts make me so angry I could scream and I know it's time to do something about it.

I try to concentrate and I'm absorbed in my new design job for a while, finally looking up to find everyone has left.

Masen must notice me come out of my cloud because he appears, leaning on the edge of Angie's workstation. "So what happened this morning, Isabella? I notice your things are still there, so are you coming back or not?" He has obviously been stewing on this for a while from the frustrated look on his face.

"Yes, I am coming back," I say with a new confidence.

"Why did you leave like that without even speaking to me?"

"I'm sorry, Masen. I know it was rude but I needed to think."

"Isabella… please tell me I didn't scare you off."

I close down the job I'm working on, tidying some stray paperwork before I look at him and answer. "No, I just needed to work out how much I really do like you."

His eyes narrow at me as if there is a hidden meaning in what I've just said. "You like me?"

I stand over him and nod as I say, "A lot."

A tiny smile appears on his face as he looks up at me through his eyelashes. "Enough to try that kiss again?"

_Ah, what the hell._

"I'm not sure I can resist you when you look at me like that."

A gush of air comes out of him and that killer smile returns as he stands and closes the gap between us, cupping my jaw in his hands and looking into my eyes with an intensity that's thrilling. "Christ, you're gorgeous."

The kiss is both tender and passionate, like he's testing if I really mean it, but when I moan and run my hands up his back, he intensifies it and shows me how much he was holding back last night. He slides his hands down my ass and just as I'm losing myself completely to the fantasy, he pulls back and takes a step away from me, looking slightly shocked and breathing as hard as I am. I just stand there, silently wanting him to take the lead.

"Come with me," he says, holding his hand out for me, and I don't hesitate to take it. He leads me into his office, picks up his swipe card on its lanyard and pulls me out gently. He swipes the door to the server room with a devilish smirk on his face and holds the door for me to enter. I look at him cautiously and he kisses me sweetly, saying, "Don't worry, no one can get in here." Then he dangles the swipe card as if to prove it.

It's much cooler than the office and I don't know if the goose bumps are from the server room's air conditioner or the fear of the unknown I'm suddenly feeling. I'm now wondering if Masen's lead may take me further than I'd anticipated.

"What are we doing, Masen?" I ask nervously.

"We're going to start the backups," he answers, touching my chin with his finger and tipping my face up slightly.

I want him to kiss me but he guides me to stand facing a monitor and keyboard in the middle of the rack of servers and comes up behind me, taking over control of the computer around me. His arms are just touching mine and the front of his body is up against me as he runs his nose down through my hair. Then he moves away and picks up a bag from a chair, unzipping it slowly. Looking directly into my eyes, he pulls out a clear plastic case, opens it and leans down behind me, inserting the tape in the backup unit. When it slips in, his hand runs across my hip on the way back and then he takes the next case, leaning down even lower this time, sliding up my leg on the way back.

He does the two on the left without touching me or even looking at what he's doing because his eyes are still boring right into me.

"Now let's get it going." I feel him behind me again and my head presses back onto his chest. He's working on the keyboard and using the mouse, and I am watching but my brain is not taking anything else in except the feel of him. Then his arms encircle me and his nose is in my hair again, breathing in deeply.

"It's active. Press alt tab Isabella." I do as he says and the screen flips over to the view of another server. "Click on the green arrow for me." I lay my head back again as we wait and his hands find a place on my ribs just below my bra as his lips touch my ear. "Would you let me touch you in here, Isabella?"

"Touch me?" I need to clarify what I'm accepting and I badly want to hear him tell me.

"Mmm, touch your skin, appreciate you, feel how you respond to me. I can't fuck you because I don't have protection but I do want something."

Jesus, he doesn't waste time when he's encouraged. It's just… probably the sexiest thing anyone has ever said to me and I'm not going to say no.

"Yes."

"I love that word coming from your lips." He moves my hair back and runs his own lips down my neck. It's not actually a kiss, more of an investigation, but there's no tongue and I feel like I want it. "Now alt tab again and click on the arrow just like you did before."

His hands move up to squeeze my boobs with exactly the right amount of pressure, almost hurting, and I push back onto him, crying out quietly.

"Oh God I want to see them. May I?" he purrs, already undoing the buttons of my shirt.

"Mmm," I answer with closed eyes, starting to feel very hot between my legs, the coldness of the server room forgotten.

"Again, Isabella, do the same thing for the next server." The only reason I can concentrate is that I don't want him to take his hands off me to do it himself.

As soon as I'm done, I feel him peeling the shirt off my shoulders and his hands follow it's descent down my arms. I have no idea what he does with it and I couldn't care less. Now his hands ghost over my boobs and I feel him sliding the bra straps down as he grazes my neck with his teeth. His touch is sensual and yet masculine, domineering yet gentle, and I swear the breathy sound that comes out of me must be a dead give away that he's got me.

He's the perfect mix of fuckable.

"Last one, gorgeous. Finish them off." Somehow I manage it, pulling myself out of my haze to start the backup on the last server as my bra is undone and his hands are on me, squeezing me, rolling my nipples as if I'm instructing him how to drive me wild. Then both hands reach down to my pussy and he almost lifts me off the ground, moaning in my ear.

He turns me around, staring at my boobs in appreciation, takes the bra and leans down with fiery aquamarine eyes, using the tip of his tongue, tasting my nipple without losing eye contact.

I watch like it's an out of body experience.

'Jesus," he whispers, with wide eyes blazing as he starts to undo the buttons of his own shirt. He has it off in no time and now it's me appreciating him, panting for him, but I don't dare touch him. We just stand there staring at each other.

"Let me see what it would be like to fuck you in here," he says in a commanding voice and he moves me backwards, never taking his eyes off my boobs. "Turn around and bend over the table."

I comply and he hovers over me, pressing his erection onto me and wildly moving my hair out of the way, over my head and down around my shoulders, exposing my naked back.

He groans into my ear, his hot breath on my neck. "This is what I'm doing to you later, Isabella, and I'm doing it hard. I've done you just like this so many times in my head and tonight it's going to be real."

"Oh God," I call out and grab a fistful of his hair, holding him in place, wanting more of that voice in my ear as one of his hands roams from my boobs, down between my legs, and up again. He holds himself up off me with his other arm.

"Is this what you write about; sinful things? Do you have fantasies you want to play out?" he asks me, pulling my nipple so far out it hurts.

"Yes!" I almost scream it.

"Then think about me inside you right now, pumping myself into you, slapping your skin against mine, my hard in your soft. Can you feel it?"

"Oh fuck."

"What does it feel like? Can you come for me like this?" He presses all his energy right onto my clit at that moment and I do come; shocked at it suddenly happening like that, shaking and swearing as I ride it out. I release his hair and he sinks down to lay open mouthed kisses across my shoulders as my breathing starts to slow down.

"Isabella, you've just given me an exquisite image that will linger every time I come into this server room." He lifts me up and sets me down on the table. "Let's go home and make some more."

I let my head fall back and then look at him, breathing out one slow last breath. "Yes." It's the only word in my head at the moment because I cannot think of a single reason I would refuse him.

His killer smile radiates from him and he looks so cheeky again that it's hard to believe he's the same man who just played my body like that. I now know that Masen Edwards is all sorts of men rolled into one delectable package I'm going to enjoy unwrapping.

He hands me my bra and shirt and we dress, lock up and leave as usual. It's the strangest feeling doing the same thing we do every day when everything's different. We don't passionately embrace in the lot, however. One finger glances across my hand and he says, "See you back there?"

I can't help but say it. "Goodnight Masen."

He grins at me and says, "It definitely will be," and gets into his car.

As I'm about to start the car, my door opens and he leans in and kisses me, then asks me if I'm sure I know the way. I nod but I'm not even sure I know my own name I'm so breathless. As he walks back to his car, he throws his keys high into the air and catches them. He's so damn cute that I find myself ogling him with a huge smile on my face. I feel like he's mine.

As I'm driving, I'm reliving our little get together in the server room. It had so much going for it: initially, the fear of anticipating what he was going to do to me, the erotic way he teased me into showing him how I responded to his desires for my body, and then finding out that sex in a semi-public situation could bring me to orgasm fast. Christ it had everything, and he hadn't penetrated me, hadn't asked me to fulfill any of his needs.

Now I'm not sure what he expects from me. He said he wasn't a monk and he obviously knows his way around a woman's body so it's intimidating and exhilarating at the same time driving towards the unknown.

As soon as the sensor light on the porch is triggered, the front door opens and he's standing there smiling. "Welcome back, Isabella," he says into my hair as I walk past him into the house and instantly feel the electricity between us. The sensation of being lured into something is there but it's not unpleasant; more like being drawn towards him like he's a sexual energy generator and he's powering me. There's soft music playing and the warmth once again is amazing.

"Do you want something to eat? I know you didn't have lunch."

"Were you watching me?"

He rolls his eyes and then says, "Yes I was watching you. How about some soup?"

"I'm not hungry… for food."

He catches on and licks his lips. I see his Adam's apple move deliciously.

"Want to see my new fire, Isabella?"

"Yes... I do."

He breathes out, making a whimpering sound, and leads me into the living room. I've never been in here before and I marvel at the beautiful stone fireplace and the fire that casts a glow, illuminating the high ceiling. It's the only light in the room and the effect is incredibly sexy.

I realize he's watching me take this in and I smile at him. He crosses over and takes one of my hands, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles, and says, "I want you to feel comfortable here." He kisses it and I watch him, spellbound, desperately wanting his lips on mine but craving the feeling of anticipation more.

"Shall we sit down? The couch is very comfortable."

He sits and I wait for a moment looking from him to the fire, not knowing what I want to do. I can see he's picked up on my hesitation but sitting down next to him there doesn't feel right. I watch a slight frown appear on his forehead so I make up my mind, slip off my shoes and straddle him.

"Perfect," he says, letting out a gush of air before running his fingers through my hair and kissing me, holding my head gently. The kissing heats up as his erection grows under me and the sounds coming from him become more desperate each time I grind onto it.

I think about our activities in that cold server room and know I have nothing to fear. He admired what he saw from my waist up, I'm wearing decent underwear and I'm groomed, so I pull back and start to undo the buttons of my shirt. He lets his hands rest on my hips and leans back on the couch as his eyes follow the progress of my fingers, releasing each button from its confines. When I pull the shirt off he leans forward slightly like he's about to take charge and then leans back again to watch my striptease.

When I pull down the straps slowly and release the back of the bra, he never takes his eyes off what I'm doing while he works on removing his own shirt. He looks like he's in a semi-trance and we haven't spoken for minutes but the tiny movement in his eyebrows and his hips pushing up are communicating his intentions clearly. He wants to fuck me and he will, given half a chance.

He manages to remove his shirt as I take the bra down my arms and his killer smile is back. He squeezes each boob tentatively and then lifts me, positioning a nipple at his mouth, and he shakes his head slightly before launching an attack with his tongue. It's so overwhelming that my head falls back and I have to hold on to the back of his head.

"You like that, Isabella?" he asks, feeling the flesh of my back.

"Yes… I love it," I answer breathlessly, not even opening my eyes.

"Good, 'cause so do I," he says as he turns his head and it feels like he's sucking half of my boob into his mouth, causing me to cry out.

He leans me over slowly until I'm on my back and he's lying between my legs, holding both boobs, sucking on one nipple while using his thumb on the other. I can't stop pushing my chest up at him but I wish he was higher because I need his lips on mine as well.

"Kiss me," I cry out and he takes his hands away. I look down and watch him put his arms under both of my thighs, lifting my legs and the hands come straight back to my boobs. That's when we start kissing with lips barely touching – the kissing is almost all tongue. His erection is grinding me into a frenzy and the moans coming out of me are damn embarrassing. I feel like I'm going to come again and we're only half-naked.

He senses what's happening so he lets go of my boobs and slides his arms out to rest his fingers at the button of my slacks while watching for any indication that I'm going to stop him.

"Go ahead," I pant out and he smiles, sliding the zipper down slowly before his fingers reach into my panties and he feels the result of everything he's been doing to me. I watch his eyes close and he hums before he pulls the slacks and the panties down together with me quickly lifting my hips and my legs to help.

He looks at my pussy as if he's going to eat me down there for a second but he sees my eyes widen and stands instead after one hand ghosts between my legs. He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a condom that he hands to me and then he starts to undo his belt, still looking directly between my legs. His slacks and boxers come down in one movement and his cock springs out, surprising me. I know just how he felt a few seconds earlier because I instantly want that beautiful thing in my mouth.

I sit up and it's right there in front of me, begging me to lick it, even just kiss it, but I settle for grasping it. When I start to pump, he begins to lose himself in the sensation and I feel it throb in my hand.

He looks at me anxiously and commands, "Isabella, the condom, rip the condom wrapper," so I do as I'm told and roll it down over his impressive size. He beckons me to stand and as soon as I do, he lifts me so I'm back on the couch on my knees with my hands on the arm. "Are you ready? Support yourself because I feel like I'm going to lose control, okay?"

I nod, but shit. I want to cry out for him to lose as much control as he needs.

He fingers me to check if I'm wet enough and calls out "fuck" before he enters me slowly, running his palms over my boobs. "Is that all right?"

"Yes... it feels incredible." There's no need to lie to _this_ man – he knows how to fuck and he has first class equipment to use.

"Kiss me, Isabella." I turn my head and we start another round of hungry kisses when one of my hands pulls on his hair again. This is like a version of what we were doing in the server room, except that we're naked, fucking and kissing this time.

I feel his hand start to move down my tummy and then his finger slides over my clit as he settles into an increasing pace.

I'm determined to enjoy this and not come so quickly but my body won't co-operate, suddenly pulsing all around him as he cries out and stops to enjoy it before continuing even faster. I need both hands on the arm of the couch now and I want to push back but I'm afraid we won't keep time and I want nothing to spoil this perfect screwing.

He flings all my hair over one shoulder and buries his face in my neck, sometimes kissing but mostly just swearing and grunting. I love the sound of it. I also love the sound of our skin slapping together, another promise he made earlier tonight. He's becoming more frantic and his strokes are longer, harder and faster. He has multiple fingers on my pussy now, soft then hard, scraping and circling, and he moans as he feels me clenching him tighter.

"I don't think I can hold off much longer, Iz. Can you come again? Please come again for me."

"Then kiss me!" He launches his mouth on me like a hungry animal and I feel it coming so fast I scream into his mouth. I'm pulsing, he's pulsing, my heart is hammering in my chest and he loses all rhythm, fucking me all over the place before he stills and cries out himself.

"Fucking hell!" he yells, almost collapsing on top of me, his forehead on my shoulder. We stay that way for a minute while we catch our breath and then he pulls out but stays in the same recovering position.

He groans and gets us up, taking a blanket from the side of the couch and placing it down for me to sit on while he goes to the bathroom to deal with the condom. I sit there and stare at the beautiful fire, wondering how I got so lucky. I have the nicest guy in the world treating me like a princess and he fucks like a steam train, giving me three orgasms already this evening. I honestly feel like I'm in one of my stories.

Masen comes back holding two glasses of red wine and it's good, not too heavy, just delicious like him. We deconstruct the sex we just had, telling each other how good it was and that's how we spend the entire weekend, fucking all over his house, talking, laughing, eating and drinking.

When Monday morning arrives, I realize that Masen doesn't really start at ten. His counterpart, who I found out is a programmer and doesn't do any of the support work, is on the phone to him early, getting him to sort out problems as they occur.

I drag myself into the office and start work as I always do. He arrives an hour later, and when I hear his, "Morning all!" I try not to smile, knowing we intend to hide our relationship. I don't know how long we can keep it from our colleagues but we're going to try… for now.

"Hi, Isabella." He walks past and turns slightly, shooting a gorgeous grin my way as I sigh.

"Hi, Masen." The smell of the shower I just shared with him trails along after him and I notice a few people look up.

"Here we go in three, two, one," Angie says to herself and his keys go up in the air.

...

_**Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Missy. We certainly had fun planning something special for you.**_

_**Thanks as always for the tireless help I receive from the amazing Edwards Beachlover and VampyreGirl86. **_

_**And thank you to the Triangle of Curls girls who read this and guided me, especially for the encouragement of Maplestyle, the good advice of LayAtHomeMom and to Heather Maven who said I should go further. You were so right.**_

_**Thanks for reading this little three day jaunt. Leave me your thoughts.**_


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